GreenEyes and Bullets
by elainefelicity
Summary: When DiNozzo and McGee are shot for no apparent reason, Gibbs and Ziva try to find out why.
1. Chapter 1

**"Of all the dumb-ass things to do..." Tony moaned as he parked outside a house. The anonymous tip had claimed two seamen were growing and dealing Cannabis from this address. That combined with the owner's disappearing act made the place a candidate for exploration.**

**"Oh stop whining. Besides, think of the over-time." Replied McGee.**

**Tony pulled the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of the car. The street was nice. Respectable.**

**"Some of us have a life, McGee. DiNozzo's work to live, not live to work!"**

**"Is that why you were the last to go home on Friday?" Replied McGee.**

**"Was not!"**

**"Was too. Ziva told me." McGee said, determined to get the last word.**

**Truth be told, Tony **_**had**_** left last on Friday but it was not in his nature to admit defeat. Compared to Gibbs and himself, McGee was still a junior agent. He was younger. He was supposed to be out clubbing or whatever it was he amused himself with. The biggest drawback to being senior agent was the mounds of paperwork. Though he'd never confess, Tony didn't want Tim wasting his life before he'd even lived it.**

**They approached the one-bedroom house and both pulled their weapons. The front door was open. The kitchen was visible through the crack. An immaculate kitchen, no cannabis plants. Tony nodded at McGee and he opened the door. The drug may not have been visible but its heady scent hit both of them as they entered the premises. The stench was not bourne of Cannabis **_**plants**_**. A fug of smoke hung in the living room.**

**"Somebody's been smoking pot in here." Tony said under his breath.**

** McGee pointed upstairs and softly headed up them. Tony continued to the kitchen. He hadn't even reached the kitchen when footfalls followed a heavy impact on the floor above. His gut was nowhere near a infallible as Gibbs' but it was damn good nonetheless. Tony reached the bottom of the stairs. Deep inside he knew what he'd heard was his partner's body hitting the floor. He shouldn't have been surprised at the greeting he got at the bottom of the staircase. The man in the ski-mask had the greenest eyes he had ever seen. Tony's gaze lowered to the gun pointing at him. The pistol's metallic silencer gleamed.**

**"NCIS. Drop the weapon." He said.**

**The ice-cold eyes behind the mask told him all he needed to know. The gunman smiled.**

**Natural painkillers rushed around McGee's body. He wasn't in as much pain as he thought he should be. He thought of Sarah. He thought of his parents. What would they say? They'd be worried, or even grieving, depending on the outcome. Why had he pushed to become a field agent? This wouldn't happen to Ziva or Tony, they were naturals. He gasped for air but the hole in his lung made it excruciating.**

** He remembered Tony downstairs. He tried to call his name but a raspy whisper was all that came out. If anything happened to him he would never forgive himself. McGee had always wished he could gel with a partner as well as Tony did with Ziva. He thought of Ziva. She wouldn't have got herself injured and left Tony alone with a maniac.**

**McGee heard Tony's voice say something. The seconds of silence following were as agonising as his wounds. The gunshot was a beautiful noise when he heard it. Since the gunman had his weapon silenced the shot that just rang out must've come from Tony's weapon. The grunt of pain and a heavy bump were followed by yet more silence. Tim was aware that if help didn't arrive soon then consciousness and life would be abandoning him for greener pastures.**

**When Tony arrived in the room his weapon was still drawn. He looked ashen. Shock had made his complexion alabaster. **

**"You still with me, McGee?" His voice was remarkably steady although crouching down did seem hard for him.**

**"Just about." Tim gasped bravely.**

**"Keep breathing. You'll be fine. EMT're on their way."**

**"The guy...?"**

**"Got him before he got me." Tony lied. **

**The statement was half true. He had killed the guy but it wasn't before he'd stopped a bullet himself.**

**"You need to relax." He said pressing on McGee's heavily bleeding shoulder wound.**

**Tony took off his jacket and covered his injured partner. McGee suddenly noticed the blood covering Tony's white shirt. His strained heart sank.**

**"You're hit."**

**Tony put hand over his own wound. It was bleeding quicker than he could staunch with his hand. His fingers were sticky with viscous blood.**

**"Yeah... I noticed." He admitted, not up to a clever retort, "Its not that bad, don't worry."**

**"I'm sorry." McGee muttered, his eyelids drooping. **

**"McGee, look at me. Keep talking." **

**McGee was pale. His eyes closed like the curtain on a final performance.**

**Tony was trembling uncontrollably. He felt hot and cold at the same time. He tried to move but the bullet hole in his abdomen gaped painfully. He savoured the cold, solid wall he'd propped himself up against. He leaned his head back and after a while his eyes closed too.**


	2. Chapter 2

**** Some slight spoilers for earlier seasons ****

Gibbs stood, absorbing the scene's atmosphere. Even he needed a chance to digest what had happened. Blood had pooled on the floor and hands had smeared it up the wall. The stairs were covered too. His mind's eye conjured a movie of his most trusted colleague staggering up the stairs.

"Get the gurney, Mr. Palmer."

Ducky. At least there was some sort of normality to the situation. He was about to leave with the dead body in the front doorway.

"Gibbs." said a deep voice behind him, "Explain how a sailor selling pot leads to the shooting of two agents."

"Working on it," He replied without turning around, "But I'm a little short-handed, Leon."

Vance tried to read Gibbs but figured Egyptian Hieroglyphs would be more enlightening. He had been told stories of Gibbs reaction to Agent Todd's death. As the agency's director the last thing he needed was a loose cannon. As an agent, Leon wanted nothing more than payback for what had happened to McGee and DiNozzo. He crouched down and looked at the third evidence marker.

"What was this?"

"DiNozzo's weapon." Gibbs replied, "He must've dropped it."

"McGee's family are en-route. I couldn't reach Agent DiNozzo's father."

"Leave DiNozzo to me." Said Gibbs.

Vance knew when not to delve further so decided to move on.

"We working on the assumption that the dead guy's our shooter?"

"I don't assume anything, Leon. Won't know anything until Ducky gets him back to NCIS."

"Keep me in the loop, Gibbs." Vance said, ending a conversation that was a non-starter.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Victor Roberts glanced at the clock; 8 pm. Luke's curfew was in half and hour. He hadn't broken curfew for so long. Things had been good but Victor was still on edge every time his son went out. Luke had been brought home by the police various times. He couldn't face that happening again.

Praying that he wasn't tempting fate, Victor ordered pizza. Luke was such a bright boy, so intelligent, but lately he'd wasted it. Whatever made Luke himself had changed. That something was so deep only his father could see it.

Victor worked himself into the ground for his son but didn't regret a second of it. His life had been hard but what he had he'd worked for fair and square. Luke's mother had never been a feature in her child's life. Victor always figured he'd made up for her portion of the love.

The pizza man, when he arrived, was barely Luke's age. Victor paid him, thanked him and took his pizza into the small kitchen. He smothered his own with ketchup and put Luke's on a plate. Resigned to the idea of Luke breaking curfew, he put the plate in the microwave. Re-heated pizza was better than nothing he supposed.

Victor slumped down into his armchair and put the television on. She relayed the details of a shooting as if she'd done it a hundred times before. Two federal agents had been critically wounded. A third man had been found dead at the scene. No details were confirmed but he was believed to be the shooter.

Victor knew. Inexplicably, he knew. There was no foundation to his hunch but it was there nonetheless. His hand hovered over the telephone receiver, ready to call Luke's cell. Before Victor's fingers closed around it, it rang. He took a deep breath before answering the call that would destroy his life.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Gibbs' eyes connected with Victor Roberts' as he exited autopsy. As his escort swiftly led him past Gibbs sympathised with him in the way only a parent could. Within him was the black hole created by his own child's death. Victor Roberts now had that same gaping wound deep inside. Gibbs had seen many come to formally identify their children but he never got used to it.

"Jethro." Ducky said, "I thought you'd be at the hospital."

"McGee's stable. They've got him on a ventilator. They took DiNozzo to the O.R. I need to find out who did this to them, Duck. What've you got?"

Jimmy Palmer sensed that this was one of those times his mentor wanted him to make a swift exit. To the Caff-pow machine, he went.

The sharp tone was one Gibbs rarely used with his oldest friend. Donald Mallard got to the point.

Ducky, like Gibbs, assumed nothing. The man on his table was found dead at the scene. If he was guilty of the shooting then it would come out in due course. Not a second before.

"Our young man took a rather unpleasant shot to the neck, Gibbs. The bullet severed his left carotid artery. Abby confirmed the culprit came from Tony's weapon." Ducky said, "Otherwise, he was in perfect health, Jethro."

'Young man' wasn't a figure of speech, Luke had been just nineteen years old.

"Have McGee's parents been informed? Tony's father?" Enquired Ducky.

"McGee's parents are about an hour out. DiNozzo's getting the first flight out of Heathrow."

Under normal circumstances Gibbs smiled at DiNozzo Senior's globetrotting lifestyle. He hadn't been surprised to find him living the high life in London's most expensive hotel. Gibbs remembered his own visit to the British capital. Unlike Mr. DiNozzo he'd witnessed its seedy, murderous underbelly. Unlike himself, though, he figured DiNozzo had never even considered such a circumstance. There was little doubt Tony's father was a con-artist but on the phone that evening all he heard was a worried father.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ziva, what've you found out about Roberts?"

She looked up from the computer. Apart from herself and Gibbs the squad room was totally empty. Through the skylight she could see that daylight was well behind them.

"19. Lives in Georgetown with his father. Single parent family. Has a some driving offences but nothing that stands out, Gibbs."

"Well, he stands out now." Gibbs muttered.

Sitting down at his desk, he tried to rub the tiredness from his eyes. Had he been a religious man he'd have thanked God for Ziva David. She was the last one standing and he was incredibly grateful. He wanted to protect her like a father protects their child from danger.

"What did Abby find?" He asked.

"She matched Roberts' prints to those on the gun. His were the only ones. There was also GSR on his clothes."

Gibbs handed her a copy of Ducky's autopsy report. Exsanguination had been listed as Roberts' official cause of death. A bullet to the neck would do that quite effectively she supposed. Ducky had listed the finer details but she was so tired her eyes felt like they were crossing.

"Get some rest. I need you on the ball when we talk to Roberts' father tomorrow."

Gibbs picked her uncertainty up straight away. He could sense her about to question his order.

"Is there any update on Tony and McGee?" She asked.

"Ducky and Abby are at the hospital." he replied, "Ziva, I need you here."

It was a bold admittance from Gibbs but she understood what he was trying to say. The vulnerability of his feelings wasn't something generally exposed. He needed her. He needed her to find answers. This must've been what it was like when Kate was killed. Tony had told her how feelings had been put on pause until the truth had been revealed. After a little thought Ziva decided she could work with that. She put her head on the desk and closed her eyes. Gibbs, she wasn't so sure about, he may have even stayed awake all night.


	3. Chapter 3

Frannie McGee was a slightly built woman but her son was the image of her. There was no doubt that Tim was his mother's son. She'd sent her daughter and husband to get some sleep but there was no way Frannie could. She asked the nurse if she could stay in Tim's room. The nurse, a pleasant young man about Sarah's age, kindly put his hand on her shoulder.

"Of course, Mrs. McGee. Go ahead."

He hadn't mentioned the sleeping woman Frannie saw as she walked in. The room was tiny, the bed, arm-chair and medical equipment taking most of the space. The air was stifling, thick with heat. Frannie quietly opened a window. It was three o'clock in the morning, the sun was a long way off. Frannie walked over to the girl. Her pig-tails were a mess and her dark make-up smeared but she slept so peacefully. Her head rested on Tim's bed, his hand in hers.

"Sweetheart?" She said gently squeezing the young woman's arm.

"McGee?" She murmured.

"No, honey, he's still asleep."

Frannie glanced at her son. His chest rose and fell at the mercy of the ventilator. Nothing about it was natural. If she thought too deeply about it she would cry again. She already had a headache from too many tears. How scared must he have been? At least he hadn't been alone. She spared a thought for the other agent.

"You can't be very comfortable there." She said.

"But…"

"Its okay. I'm here now. I'm his mother. You go and get some rest now, Abby."

The woman lifted her head and made a half hearted attempt to straighten her pig-tails.

"How do you know my name? We've never met."

Frannie smiled.

"Timothy thinks the world of his friends. He talks about you the most though."

"Really?" Abby said getting to her feet.

"Really. I even began to think something more was going on…"

Abby shook her head.

"We went on one date." She replied, "We're better as friends though, Mrs McGee."

"Its Frannie."

In reply Abby pulled Frannie into a tight embrace. Initially, Frannie wasn't sure what to do but she eventually reciprocated, thanking God that her son had such sweet friends.

Once Abby had gone, Frannie settled into the armchair. She thought about Tim's graduation from MIT. He was a different person from the one in front of her. Why did he have to become an agent? Why couldn't computer forensics be enough for him? Frannie played scenarios in her head of how the shooting may have happened. Had the other agent made a mistake? Had Tim made a mistake? Was the other agent even alive? She realised she hadn't even asked. Frannie eventually fell into a broken slumber.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For a man who was just forty-two Victor Roberts' demeanour was that of someone _fifty_-two. His bright green eyes should have gleamed, instead they were dull as coal. A light within him had gone out.

"Look me in the eye, Agent Gibbs, and tell me Luke did this."

"Mr. Roberts, I have no doubt that your son shot two agents yesterday."

Victor glanced at Ziva, who sat the other side of the conference room. Wisely, she remained silent. There was no other answer she could give.

"Then who shot _him_!" Victor demanded.

Even though the bullets matched Tony's gun there was still technically a question mark over it. Gibbs, on the other hand, had no doubts about who shot Luke Roberts.

"Special Agent DiNozzo."

Victor appeared to quake from the inside. Ziva threw Gibbs a look.

"Mr. Roberts, I'm sorry for your loss but can you think of any reason your son would do this?" She asked.

Gibbs realised that Victor had rose-tinted glasses on but his gut told him there was a lot more he had to say.

"He'd been distant." Victor offered, "He was nineteen and still had a curfew. What does that tell you? He'd been getting in trouble lately. Alcohol stuff mostly."

Gibbs said nothing, encouraging Victor to say more.

"When he was at home he spent most of his time on his computer. I respected Luke's privacy so don't ask me what he was doing on it."

"We'll need to search Luke's room. Examine his computer." Said Gibbs.

"Do I have any choice."

"We'll get a warrant if we have to."

Victor, resigned, got to his feet. Gibbs followed suit.

"I'll show you out." He said.

"You're an honest man, I can tell." Said Victor as they got into the elevator.

"Yes." Replied Gibbs.

It hurt. Everything Victor heard had been true.

Once Victor was gone Gibbs reunited with Ziva at the vending machines.

"That was not very useful, Gibbs." She said.

Gibbs gestured his agreeance but his blue eyes were full of thought.

"Gibbs." He said, answering his ringing phone.

Ziva looked at him expectantly hoping to glean some information from his face. By the time he said "Thanks, Abs" he was about to tell her anyway.

"Abby, found traces of blood in Roberts' car. It a match for Seaman Daniels."

"The sailor who owns the house?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Get a team to search the house." He ordered.

"For what?"

"A body." He replied, walking away.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It took Tony long enough to figure out where he was, let alone think of who the person in his room could've been. He felt their eyes on him. They approached the bed and peered with examining eyes. He was certain it hadn't been a doctor or nurse. For the next few hours he thought nothing of it. He concentrated his time on trying make the room not spin. When he next opened his eyes, Senior was sitting on the end of the bed.

"Hey, Junior." He said smiling weakly, "How're you feeling?"

"Nauseas"

"That'd be the pain meds." He answered.

"What?"

"You got shot, Kid."

His whole body flashed back to the moment when the bullet entered his flesh. The Morphine was making him feel sick but didn't do much else. Although he didn't want to imagine what it would be like with nothing.

"I came all the way from London as soon Gibbs called me." Senior said, "I don't mind telling you , I was worried out of my mind."

"Well I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience, Dad."

Senior decided not to take that personally. He marvelled at the amount of cards already on the bedside table. Abby's in particular was bursting with love. He picked a plain one up.

"Hey, Junior." He said, "Who's this one from?"

Tony grabbed the card. It's handwriting wasn't a style he recognised. Unlike the others it not only wished for his health but it was an apology. The unsigned card left Tony with an inexplicable coldness.

"Can you get Gibbs? I need to talk to him."

"Junior, are you sure you're up to facing Gibbs? That guy can be hard work at the best of times."

"Dad…please."

Senior grudgingly did as he was told.


	4. Chapter 4

"You summoned me, DiNozzo?" Said Gibbs.

Tony lifted his head from the pillow and tried to sit up. Stitches pulled and the wound burned. Giving it up as a bad job he lay back down. In a wordless gesture he handed the cryptic card to Gibbs.

"I'll deal with it." He said already having an idea who'd brought it.

"How's McGee doing?" Tony asked.

"Still not breathing on his own.

"I shouldn't have let it happen…" he said, "It should be me laying there."

Gibbs smiled thinking of the best way to point out the obvious.

"So I guess you didn't really need major surgery last night."

"Boss, I was senior agent. I shouldn't have let him get shot."

"McGee isn't a probie anymore." Gibbs said.

It was time to get to the point. It was the first chance he had to hear the other side of the story. Able to read Gibbs better than most Tony took his silence as a prompt. Time to stop feeling sorry for himself. Time to behave like the agent that he was.

"When we got to the house the door was already open. We split up; McGee went upstairs, I stayed down. I didn't hear the shots but I heard McGee fall. When I got to the bottom of the stairs the was the guy was standing there."

Gibbs nodded, so far things made sense.

"He had his weapon drawn. I announced myself and then you know the rest."

On the contrary, Gibbs didn't know the rest. In fact, this was the part that made the least amount of sense.

"Why did you let him shoot you?" Gibbs asked, "You're a good agent, Tony, why did you hesitate?"

Tony's heart warmed slightly at the back-handed compliment. He had an easy answer to give.

"I could see his eyes, boss. There was something about them that made me not want to kill him."

Gibbs heart lurched. He'd heard those words before from someone else. He and Tony both had.

"Like Kate…" Gibbs stated.

"Like Kate." He replied.

Gibbs stood up ready to leave.

"I'll get to the bottom of this." He said.

Tony closed his eyes again and realised how horrible it was to be a victim.

Gibbs had barely exited the hospital when his telephone rang.

"Ziva."

"Gibbs, I am at Roberts' house. You need to see what I have found in here."

"Get everything back to the office. I'll meet you there."

* * *

><p>This was the last place Victor expected to be. He figured he was in trouble as he had normally been directed to a conference room. Now, he sat in a room with no more furniture than a table and chairs. He had watched enough TV to know the mirrored wall wasn't there for decoration.<p>

The door opened and in walked the steely-eyed agent he'd been dealing with in the past. Gibbs, he remembered. On their first meeting he recalled thinking that he wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of this man.

"Mr. Roberts."

"Agent Gibbs. Am I in trouble?"

He didn't answer, just pulled out the chair and sat down. He placed a file on the table and some objects in clear plastic bags. When Victor glimpsed what was in one of the bags he realised why he may have been there.

"What does the name DiNozzo mean to you?" Gibbs enquired.

"It's the name of the man who ended my son's life."

Gibbs nodded slowly then sat forward. His eyes locked onto Victor's sparkly green ones.

"That's not the whole truth is it, Mr. Roberts?"

He held his hands up, cutting Victor off before he had a chance to reply.

"We'll come back to that." Gibbs said opening the file. Try as he did, Victor couldn't read the writing upside down.

"You're adopted."

"Yes," Victor answered feeling violated that the facts of his life were in that file, "Where is this going, Agent Gibbs?"

"You told Luke didn't you?"

"Of course I did."

Gibbs nodded again. He picked up the first plastic bag. He slid it across the table towards Victor who's blood ran cold.

"You need to tell me the truth, Victor. Why did you leave this for Agent DiNozzo?"

"I felt bad that Luke had done this. It was the day before I found out he killed my boy."

"You went back to the hospital didn't you? The nurses saw you."

Victor snapped. It was time to tell the truth. He knew he was found out, it was too late.

"Okay. I went back. I grabbed one of my best kitchen knives and I wanted to rip that man's heart out of his chest."

"But you didn't." Gibbs said.

"I'm not my son. I couldn't kill. Its not in me."

Gibbs smiled wryly.

"Did you know your biological father?"

"Yes."

Victor thought he had Gibbs line of questioning figured out but he kept on changing direction. It was making Victor's head spin.

"Gibbs, stop beating around the bush. You already know that Anthony DiNozzo is my biological parent."

"You're son knew too. It was in his diary." Gibbs placed the diary in front of Victor.

Victor admitted that he knew DiNozzo was rich. Luke knew, but until Gibbs revealed it, he didn't know how much he resented it. Luke hated growing up poor and apparently murder wasn't beyond him as an option for revenge.

"Did you know that DiNozzo had a son? That you had a half brother?"

Victor shook his head. Until a few days ago the existence of his half-brother had been a mystery to him. Apparently Luke knew.

"Did you convince Luke to kill DiNozzo and his father? Your father was next on the list, you know."

Victor took massive offence. He didn't want anyone to die. He'd had a wonderful upbringing. It wasn't rich like his half-brother but it was so loving. He'd tried to give Luke the same but that obviously wasn't enough to keep him from a murderous revenge spree.

Gibbs looked into the man's vivid green eyes. He believed him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi. I am so glad you're enjoying this. Its a pleasure to write and the muses are singing beatifully! Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like chapter 5. Its been my favourite to write. Chapter 6 is in progress. X Best wishes. Elaine X**

For the first time ever Anthony DiNozzo Senior was lost for words. Tony may not have spent a lot of time with him in the last few years but he knew what made his father tick. Something was eating him from the inside out. The pain was apparent in his eyes.

"What is it, Dad?"

Senior flinched visibly.

"Forget I was here?" Tony smiled, "Listen, if its about the way I spoke to you before I'm sorry."

Senior's reply was a stiff smile, not the natural charm that normally oozed from him.

"If I'd been thorough what you have I'd be a little sharp too."

Senior couldn't live with this. The apology should have been coming from him not the other way around. When Gibbs had confronted him earlier Senior knew it couldn't have been good news. But this? This was catastrophic. It had the potential to atomise any bonds he had with his son. Sons. Plural.

"Junior. I need to tell you something."

Tony's heart-rate quickened. He could feel the palpable tension in the room's atmosphere. Senior didn't wait for a reply. Quick and painless, he decided.

"You have a brother."

Tony lay staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before those words registered.

"Excuse me?"

Senior nodded.

"A brother. Older."

"You can't just stop there!"

"He was adopted. I was only young when he was born. It was the best thing. For him and for us."

Tony could feel the anger boiling into every cell of his body. It pulsed through his blood vessels, originating from his core. Senior figured he'd better talk faster.

"We just weren't ready to be parents."

"Did Mom know you cheated on her?" Tony asked him.

Senior was astonished at the accusation.

"Anthony, your mother was the love of my life!" He said, "I said you had a brother, not a half brother."

"Jesus." Said Tony under his breath. He wasn't a practicing Catholic but something ingrained in him hated to take Christ's name in vain. This was unusual circumstances though.

"Your mother and I met in college. You know that. One day, before we were married, she came to me and told me she was pregnant." Senior continued, "At the time I had no problem with abortion but she did. Her parents hated her for being so careless and hated me even more. The only option we had was adoption."

As livid as he was the red mist hadn't clouded his judgement enough not to sympathise with his parents plight.

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"I almost lost you for good, Junior. It kind of makes a man want to spill his guts." Senior replied, faking a genuine smile.

They both knew that wasn't it. Senior sighed. Now wasn't the time to wimp out. This was going to be the hardest bit.

"It has to do with the shooting."

"A nineteen year old kid shot me not someone old enough to be your son…"

"Not my **_son_**, Junior."

The penny dropped.

"Your grandson." He said, "Luke Roberts was your grandson."

Senior nodded sadly.

"He was the son of Victor, the child we gave up."

Tony wanted to get away but his injury dictated otherwise. He could no longer look at the man he'd called his father. He turned his head to face the window.

"Don't turn away." Senior pleaded, "Please."

"I shot my nephew. I killed my own flesh and blood."

The tone in his voice frightened Senior. The sadness was masked by pure fury. He was glad he wasn't meeting Tony's eye. He was glad there wasn't a weapon to hand for he feared he'd be stone-cold dead.

* * *

><p>Ducky was about to grab his coat and hat from the stand when he realised he was the only one leaving. One of the freezers was open. Jimmy Palmer peered into Luke Roberts' hauntingly green eyes. Ducky turned around and approached his deeply troubled assistant.<p>

"Dr. Mallard. How do they do it?"

"Do what Jimmy?"

"End another human life."

Ducky drew a heavy sigh. That was a question he'd always pondered but as yet had come up with nothing. As a mentor, he felt it his duty to give the young man some sort of answer.

"Killing a person goes against fundamental human instinct. The motivation behind such a hideous deed is something the only the killer can truly understand."

Ducky wondered aloud why this issue was only arising in Jimmy's mind now. His assistant had been privy to many autopsies done on people who'd died at the hands of agents. Tony was different somehow though. His sense of humour made him seem less capable of it somehow. Palmer recalled Michael Rivkin. No, Tony definitely had the capability.

"Abby said this is Tony's nephew."

Ducky nodded, now realising the reason for Palmer's pang of humanity and conscience.  
>"Do think if he'd known he'd have still done it?"<p>

"You make it sound like he had a choice, Palmer." Said Agent Gibbs from behind them.

Gibbs wasn't happy justifying his senior agent's actions to someone who'd never comprehend life in the line of fire.

"Survival is a strong instinct, Palmer."

Jimmy gazed into the boy's eyes once more. He'd heard Tony had hesitated before pulling the trigger. There was something that stopped him. He wouldn't have been shot otherwise. He wondered if some part of him did know. He concluded that he'd never understand the issue but he did feel for his friend. He knew that unlike cold-blooded murderers Tony DiNozzo would have this on his conscience for the rest of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

Timothy McGee's throat was raw. He felt like a sumo-wrestler was sitting on his chest. The endo-tracheal tube had been removed and his lungs were having to work alone.

"Timothy? Its about time you came back to the land of the living."

McGee's eyes felt sticky and his vision was blurry thanks to the blindingly bright room.

"Ducky?" He said with difficulty.

The man beside the bed chuckled.

"Yes, my boy."

Tim tried to ascertain what had happened. Why he was in so much pain. As soon as Dr. Mallard mentioned the word 'shooting' Tim's memory kicked into action.

"Tony?" He said, "Is he okay?"

Ducky nodded.

"Physically, he'll recover. Mentally…?"

What d'you mean?"

Tony didn't seem the type to have post-traumatic stress. Then again it could affect anyone he supposed. Ducky suddenly realised he may have started something he couldn't finish.

"Its very complex. I think I should let him explain it himself." He said swiftly, "I'll go and find your parents. I'm sure they're eager to see you."

McGee adjusted his position carefully and watched Ducky head for the door. The NCIS Medical Examiner was a friend but seing his family was a prospect that warmed his soul.

* * *

><p>"I'm doing alright, Dad." Victor said into the phone.<p>

It was a blatant lie. He could hear the pain in his ailing father's voice. Not only had he lost his grandson and watched the national news drag his name through the mud, he couldn't be there for Victor to lean on. He could hear the pure agony in his voice.

"Vic, I'm worried about you, Kid."

That was rich, Victor thought. His father had such severe Multiple Dystrophy travelling was almost impossible. They were stuck at opposite sides of the country. Victor ached for company. His home had a gaping hole, only exacerbated by the scattering of Luke's possessions.

"Dad, I love you. Honestly, though, I'll manage. I'll come see you as soon as things settle here."

His father reluctantly ended the conversation and Victor put the phone into his jacket.

Victor grabbed his wallet off the passenger seat of his car and got out. As soon as he clapped eyes on the man at the steps of his apartment building he knew he was waiting for him.

"What can I do for you?"

"Victor…" He said, voice dripping with emotion.

He wondered how he hadn't recognised the man before. His face was the one on Luke's research papers. He was the other man on the hit-list.

"Whoa… I know who you are!"

"Can I come in?"

His biological father sure was forward. Victor had often thought of this moment. He always knew what he'd do.

"This is great timing…" He said, "Dad."

It wasn't said with warmth. In fact icicles could've formed in the air between them. The disappointment was all over Anthony DiNozzo's face.

"No. You cannot come in." Said Victor forcefully, "I want nothing to do with you. I had a wonderful childhood without you or your money!"

Victor had clearly given this a lot of thought. Whatever he could say would never be enough. Anthony DiNozzo walked away without another word, tail between his legs.

* * *

><p>McGee's father sat dozing in the chair, allowing his wife to get some well deserved rest in an actual bed. She'd told him about the gothic visitor a few days back. His heart was also warmed by the dedication of his son's friends.<p>

Timothy too was dozing but like his father he was alerted to the extra presence in the doorway. Tony stood in the clinging to the door frame. Tim's father shot out of his chair.

"Sit down, sit down." He said, "Agent DiNozzo, right?"

Tony was grateful for the seat and shook Mr. McGee's hand. He glanced at Tim and met his eye. The picture he had in his minds eye was much worse than the reality in front of him. Something else to be grateful for.

"Hi, Tony."

"Hey."

McGee's voice was better than it was. It was almost back to normal. Still short of breath though. Mr. McGee made a contrived excuse to exit the room, leaving the two colleagues alone.

"Should you even be here?" Tim asked, "You don't look wonderful."

"That's rich" Tony replied.

"I heard they removed a lobe of your liver."

Tony nodded, he was still trying to get his head around it. Around everything.

"I guess that's why it bled so much."

Again, that was rich and Tony pointed it out.

"You remember all that?"

"I remember you lied. You said you hadn't been hit but when you took off your jacket you shirt was soaked."

Tony wasn't about to apologise. He didn't need to. McGee saw DiNozzo in a different light. He'd never questioned Tony's capabilities, his personality maybe, but never his ability as a partner or superior. He thanked him from the bottom of his heart.

"Tony, I let you down…."

"Did you break protocol?" Tony said before McGee could finish his sentence.

"Of course not… but…"

"No buts. Neither of us knew what was coming. We didn't know there was a maniac upstairs, let alone a maniac with a gun."

He was right. McGee and DiNozzo never really had much in common but now the shared experience was something that linked them forever.

"Would you stop being nice? Its creeping me out." McGee blurted out suddenly.

"I'm always nice." Tony knew it was a lame reply.

"I've missed something, haven't I?" McGee said.

Tony's eyes drifted to the floor.  
>"I missed something big."<br>"Monumental."

Tony told him everything. He talked about Victor, Luke and the unfortunate sailor who'd been killed and framed to create a trap.

"I don't know what to say." McGee said after a while.

"Believe me, McGee, and I've had a lot of time to think about it, neither do I."

Tony was glad he'd spoken to McGee, it brought back some of the status quo after it had kindly run away. It also made him realise something. He needed to speak to Victor. It betrayed everything he was to leave things this unfinished. Victor deserved it, he was the innocent one who'd been royally screwed over by everybody.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello People, I am so sorry this last chapter has been so long coming. I killed my laptop and had to get a new one! I am so glad you've enjoyed this story. I have been contemplating ways of bringing Victor back in future tales. What do you think?**

**Anyway, thanks again from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy the concusion of 'Green- Eyes and Bullets'. XX Elaine XX**

One minute Ziva was behind him the next she wasn't. After literally shoving him in the right direction she walked away, heading towards their car feeling that her work was done. She always did have a way of making him see what was right, Tony mused. The cemetary was a picture of beauty, if that was possible. The winter sun shone through the trees and cherry-blossom carpeted the floor. Birds twittered, destined never to stop until doomsday.

"Stop hiding, DiNozzo." Victor called. He hadn't even turned his head. There was no way he could have seen Tony. Fair-play, the guy had good instincts. "Face me."

Tony started towards him. He had been in some odd situations before God knew, but this? This was something else entirely. About to look into eachother's eyes for the first time they both cursed their father. Neither were surprised that he'd fallen off the face of the Earth. Tony stopped in front of Victor. As they sized each other up it were as if they were the only people on the planet.

"Victor." Said Tony, feeling the need to fill the silence. Everything he'd planned to say to his new-found brother escaped him.

"DiNozzo." Victor replied.

"My friends call me Tony." He heard it as it left his mouth but couldn't seem to stop it.

"Don't ever think you and I will be on the same side. You killed my boy!" Victor struggled not to raise his voice. This was a place of rest after-all.

Nobody could've felt guiltier than Tony did at that second but he wasn't going to be trodden into the ground. He hardly had the moral high-ground but neither was he the cold-blooded murderer that Victor saw him as.

"Yes." He said confidently, "I killed Luke. I killed your son. My nephew. You need to get it out of you system? Hit me. Go on. Take a free shot."

There was a time Victor did not have an ounce of violence in him. His fingers curled into a fist but his soul tried in earnest to channel the man Victor was before Luke's death. Succeeding in finding a sense of calm, he let his hand relax. He diverted his eyes away from Tony, resigned that he wouldn't just drop dead from the strength of a stare.

"I tried to get my vengeance but I couldn't do it. I couldn't end a human life. Even yours." Victor stated, "But you already knew that didn't you."

"I appreciate you not stabbing me to death."

Victor couldn't help smiling at the dry humor. It was one of Luke's traits that he missed the most. He glanced down at the grave stone.

"Is it true that Luke killed a U.S Marine?"

Tony nodded affirmitavly.

"It was as if never knew him." Victor confided, "How is the other man Luke shot?"

"Much like myself. He's recovering physically but its the mental scars that cause the most agony."

Victor whipped his gaze back to Tony, assessing him.

"What? You think it was an easy experience for us?"

"I fell apart when I found out Luke was dead. When I heard your name in the mix the world may as well have fallen through." Victor said.

"Until that day, I've never hesitated before." Tony explained, "Luke should've been dead before he hit the ground."

Victor was determined not to recoil by the statement's bluntness. He knew he was being tested. DiNozzo was scoping him out, seing what pushed his buttons.

"Why wasn't he?" He asked, forcibly calm.

"His eyes." Tony said, "They made me stop in my tracks. In hindsight, I realise they tapped into me. They were identical to my mother's."

"But the ending was still the same." Victor said bitterly, "You still shot Luke, he bled to death from the hole you put in his neck!"

"You weren't there." Tony said attempting to reign in his temper before it took-over.

"I didn't need to be."

"You didn't feel the pain and the fear. You didn't struggle up every stair not knowing what you'd find at the top. You didn't see the terror on my partner's face when he realised we both could die in that house. You weren't there, Victor. You weren't there to see him gasp for every breath or to feel the blood leak out of hole in your abdomen!"

He had a point. As much as Victor hated it, hated him, he had a point. His bravado sunk like a lead balloon and admitted defeat. Luke was his child but what he had done was unforgivable. Victor thought about the parents of that Marine. He knew exactly what they were going through and the thought of his own flesh and blood causing that was unbearable.

"What are we going to do?" He asked, "The fact still remains that we're related. You're by brother's for Heaven's sake."

Tony heaved an exhausted, exasperated sigh.

"You tell me." He replied, "I do know one thing, don't expect to have Dad's help in this. He'll show his face again, sure, but it won't be until after we've battled through the hard stuff without him."

"Charming guy." Victor observed, "Speaking of which... please send my regards and thanks to Agent Gibbs. The way he handled everything was extraordinary."

"You like Gibbs?" Tony smirked, "There may be hope for us yet."

"How so?"

"Well. There are two types of people in this world. Those who get on with Leroy Jethro Gibbs and those who don't. Anyone who does is a friend of mine." Tony answered.

Victor smiled. Smiled at him. It was the first genuine benevolence he'd felt since this whole thing began. He'd lost Luke but life had a sick sense of humor. He knew it wouldn't be easy, for either of them, but they were related and that mattered. That really, really mattered.


End file.
